UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People November 25, 2013 Security Council President (China) (unofficial transcription) Let me begin by thanking the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for inviting me to address this meeting in my capacity as President of the Security Council for month of November. The Security Council has always paid close attention to the Question of Palestine in support of efforts to seek a comprehensive resolution of the question through dialogue and negotiation on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, land for peace, the road map and the Arab peace initiative to realize vision of two states, Palestine and Israel, living side-by-side in peace and achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. The solution to the Question of Palestine has stayed high on the Security Council agenda For a comprehensive solution the parties should stay on the right course toward independent Palestinian statehood and a peaceful coexistence of two states, Palestine and Israel. Negotiations should be the only way to achieve peace. The principle of land for peace should be firmly upheld and the international community should provide important guarantees for peace process to move forward. Last year saw Palestinians obtained non-member observer state at the United Nations. At the same time Palestine and Israel have major differences. A series of key issues must be resolved in negotiations before a two state solution can be achieved. Throughout the past year the Security Council supported various parties' efforts for the resumption of talks. It has continued to receive monthly briefings on the situation from the Secretary-General special envoy and the Department of Political Affairs. Council members commended leaders of Israel and Palestine for their enormous courage and efforts to move the peace process forward and welcomed the resumption of talks last July and expressed hope that the parties will narrow differences and achieve substantive progress in the talks. In the course of the year, Security Council members expressed concern over Israel's continued construction of settlements in the OPT. Believing that such actions undermine peace efforts and undermine the two state solution. Council members stressed the need for the fulfillment of obligations under international law. Any unilateral action including settlements will not be recognized by international community, nor will prejudge the outcome of peace talks. Council members expressed concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the OPT and Gaza. They repeated their calls for the full implementations of Security Council resolutions 1850 and 1860 and stressed the need to fully lift the Gaza blockade and ensure access of goods and people into Gaza and allow distribution of humanitarian gods into Gaza. Council members applauded UNRWA for effectively carrying out a huge amount of work to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian refugees and expressed hope that the international community would continue support of UNRWA. Sustained stability of the economy is crucial for the realization of Palestinian statehood and regional stability. The Council calls on the international community to

increase humanitarian assistance to Palestine, provide more support to the Palestinian economy and have greater confidence in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The Security Council attaches importance to the Quartet to push forward the peace process. The Security Council welcomed the ministerial meeting last September and expressed hope that the Quartet will continue to play its important role. The Security Council lauds the unremitting efforts of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for the realization of legitimate rights of Palestinian People and the convening of conferences ­ including international meetings in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace held last June in Beijing to bring the international community together. We remain committed to the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and achieving just and lasting peace in Middle East.